The government began looking into Nestle's baby food products after it was discovered that they contained additional sugar. The FSSAI, a food safety watchdog, announced on Thursday that it is gathering samples of Nestle's Cerelac infant formula. According to FSSAI CEO G Kamala Vardhan Rao, the procedure will take ten to fifteen days to finish.
Indeed, a report published a few days ago by Public Eye in Switzerland and the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) revealed that Nestle adds more sugar and honey to food items, such as baby milk and cerelac, that are sold throughout Asia and Africa, including India. As.
In Asia, Latin America, and Africa, practically all wheat-based baby foods sold for infants up to six months of age had an average of four grams of sugar per bowl (1 serving), according to a report by Public Eye and the International Baby Food Action Network. was discovered. In a lab in Belgium, Public Eye had tested 150 of the company's products in these nations.
In the Philippines, a single dish could contain up to 7.3 grams of sugar. Concurrently, baby foods in Senegal and Nigeria included 5.9 and 6.8 grams of sugar, respectively. Furthermore, data on the amount of sugar in the products was not provided by seven out of fifteen countries.
As per the survey, practically all Baby Cerelac products in India have an average of 3 grams of sugar added to each serving by Nestle. Simultaneously, there are 24 grams of sugar in every 100 grams of Cerelac that is marketed to kids between the ages of 6 and 24 months.
According to the study, Nestle has been accused of being opaque about the sugar mix while conspicuously highlighting the vitamins, minerals, and other benefits included in their products. WHO recommendations state that foods intended for children younger than three years old should not contain any sugar or other sweet ingredients.
What are the Indian specifications for sugar?
The quantity of added sugar in baby foods in India has no upper restriction, according to a research published in Indian Express. The body in charge of this only discloses the requirements for micronutrients like vitamin C, vitamin D, iron, and zinc, as well as macronutrients like protein, fat, and carbs.
Corn syrup and malt may be used in cereal infant foods, per Indian laws. As long as they make up less than 20% of the total carbohydrates, sucrose and fructose can be utilized as sources of carbohydrates.
European infant goods contained no sugar.
Similarly, the powdered milk Nido sold for newborn newborns was discovered to have an average of 2 grams of sugar per bottle. However, the identical goods were marketed without sugar in Switzerland, the home country of Nestlé, and other European nations like Germany, Britain, and France.
What are the drawbacks of consuming excessive amounts of sugary foods and beverages?
Heart disease and excessive blood pressure are becoming more likely.
In the body, bad cholesterol levels rise. Diabetes is a possibility.
Alzheimer's disease might be a possibility.
Tooth cavities could be the issue.
Sugar has an impact on mental wellness. This negatively impacts one's memory.
Sugar consumption reduces white blood cell strength by 50%. This causes immunity to deteriorate.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver issues might arise. The liver stores fat as a result of this.
